Genevieve
"Give up... so you can rest..."
I fell to my knees as fatigue started to set in, and I held my head while trying to stand up without falling over again.
I can't rest yet... they'll find me...
I groaned and fell to my knees once again. An intense energy surged within me, trying to escape through my palms. Before I realized what was happening, dark energy erupted from my hands, swirling in front of me until it grew large.
"Rest..."
The moment the core took control, my body stopped responding to my will.
Dark sludge erupted around me, spreading like a living shadow as it wrapped around every part of my body. I could no longer move on my own; I was merely a passenger, trapped behind my own eyes as the force within me guided every motion.
The darkness consumed me completely.
Then space itself began to distort.
In an instant, my body vanished from the world I knew and was pulled beyond reality, into the endless void of the universe. Stars, galaxies, and cosmic dust flowed across my form as if my body had become a reflection of existence itself.
I was no longer covered in darkness.
I had become the universe.
Only my face remained untouched, my hair drifting weightlessly as countless stars shimmered across my skin. I stood suspended among the endless cosmos, a human silhouette carrying the vastness of everything around me.
Elysia
A WEEK LATER...
"Elysia!" I jolted back to reality when I heard our professor call out my name in front of the class, causing me to stand up immediately.
"Yes, Sir?" I gulped and looked straight into his eyes.
"Tell me what's so interesting in the sky today; you seem to be very distracted up there." I heard the faint chuckle from Shai, so I kicked her chair.
"Um...nothing, Sir Evans. I was dozing off." I heard his sigh before he held his temple.
"Sit down, Elysia. Try to focus back on the lesson." I nodded and sat down with a sigh.
I caught Ethan staring at me, so I gave him a weak smile before looking away as I sat back down.
As the class continued, I became more and more distant from reality, thinking of Genevieve's current state or where she was. I felt my tears sliding down my face, so I quickly took my handkerchief from my pocket to wipe them on my cheeks. I continued to dead stare at the whiteboard.
....
I jerked violently, a sharp gasp escaping my lips as reality came crashing back into focus.
"Elysia, it's lunch break already." I gazed up at Nicole and nodded before standing up and taking my purse. "Are you okay? Like really." I stopped at Shai's words.
"I'm fine; I was just thinking of Genevieve's state right now. I'm worried." I sighed as we walked out of the class together.
KASLANA
"That stupid girl." My hands heat up as I let out a fireball onto the wall outside the meeting facility.
Frustration surged through me. I raked my fingers through my hair, scratching at my scalp as I cursed myself for the mistake. I let out a sharp sigh and roughly scratched the back of my head; irritation etched across my face. "Idiot," I muttered under my breath.
As I was about to throw the chair, my eyes widened when an ice prick suddenly went past my face and onto the wall. I snorted angrily and turned around.
"If you're going to do that here, you're going to get the punishment from our boss. Do you want that?" The boy who entered earlier at the meeting facility with that white hair that mirrored mine and that cold-ass face of his is now standing in front of me with a smirk.
"Mind your goddamn business, little boy." I glared at him before rolling my eyes while patting away the dirt on my clothes. "I've never seen you before." I stared at him and crossed my arms.
I heard his tongue click as he also stared me down. This boy is pretty tall yet looks young. "You don't need to know why I'm here; name's Cain, though." He cleared his throat before correcting his posture. "Let me guess, your target is Genevieve, am I correct?"
I scoffed loudly as my brows drew together at his guess. I don't appreciate that he's right. "Yeah, why guess? What's it to you?" I raised an eyebrow at him, and he gave me a knowing smirk before lending me a paper. I studied the paper in front of me.
A contract, huh...
"You can start working for my organization if you want; it's a hidden organization to target all metahumans with a core inside of them," I smirked at his silly words. I took the paper from his hands with the ballpen.
"And why do you trust me to join this when we just met? You do know I have a fire core inside of me." I signed the agreement on the paper and gave it back to him. I crossed my arms again while leaning on the wall.
"I already know your background, Kaslana. I know you won't fail the tasks given in this organization."
Cain strode past without so much as a glance. Just as I thought he'd keep walking, he came to an abrupt stop. Without turning around, he spoke in a calm, commanding voice.
"Follow me."
There was no room for argument.
He resumed walking toward his office, expecting me to obey without question.
The office door closed behind us with a quiet click, cutting off the noise from the outside world.
Cain walked toward his desk and took his seat, leaving me standing there for a moment. The silence between us felt deliberate, as if he was waiting for me to speak first.
I remained still, watching him carefully. I sat on the couch in front of his table.
"So, about Genevieve. I'm going to need you to find out her location or where she goes. She's a threat to us." I scoffed at him. "I already know that."
"Yes, but do you know about the hokai beasts that are slowly multiplying as we're talking right now?" My brows drew together; his words didn't make sense to me. He pulled out a paper from his desk and showed me a picture.
My eyes widened as I saw pictures of massive white beasts with red glowing lines all around their body; their hands were sharp, massive triangular spears.
"Why didn't my boss tell me anything about this? Are you lying to me, boy?" He lets out a dark chuckle that irritated my ears, causing me to roll my eyes.
"And why would I lie? If you want to see for yourself, then come with me to Lusiana Forest this evening. It'll be fun." He gave me a knowing smirk, so I sighed and crossed my arms.
"No, I have a task to do due this evening too, but fine. I believe whatever shit is going on."
"What's the name of your organization, by the way?
"Flame organization, I am the founder." Cain calmly stated.
"Now go; I have something else to do." I rolled my eyes before standing up. I left his office without saying another word. I'm too exhausted.
THIRD PERSON'S VIEW
Nicole woke to the pale glow of morning filtering through her curtains. As she reached for her phone on the bedside table, something unfamiliar caught her eye.
A folded envelope.
She frowned.
She was certain it hadn't been there before she went to sleep.
Slowly, she picked it up and unfolded the single sheet inside.
If you truly want to find Genevieve, come alone.
Warehouse 17.
7:00 P.M.
Do not bring anyone.
— Cain
Nicole read the message twice before setting it back down.
"Cain..." she murmured.
One sentence lingered in her mind.
If you truly want to find Genevieve.
She couldn't ignore it.
That evening, Nicole arrived at the abandoned warehouse precisely at seven.
The building was silent, save for the distant hum of machinery somewhere inside.
As she stepped through the entrance, lights flickered on one by one, illuminating a spacious room with concrete walls and scattered crates.
A man stood near the center.
Tall.
Silver white hair.
Cold blue eyes.
He turned as if he had expected her arrival down to the second.
"So you came."
Nicole folded her arms.
"I almost didn't."
Cain gave a faint nod.
"A reasonable decision."
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Finally, Nicole broke the silence.
"You said you could help me find Genevieve."
"I can."
"Then where is she?"
"I don't know."
Nicole's expression hardened.
"That's a disappointing answer."
"I know where you need to begin."
She remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Cain walked past her and stopped beside a holographic display that projected several files into the air.
Images of Elysia, Shai, Ethan, Ivan, and Nicole herself appeared.
"They've already been approached."
Nicole immediately recognized the research facility.
"Dr. Weiss..."
"He offered them Meta Cores."
Nicole's eyes narrowed.
"You already know."
"I know far more than Dr. Weiss realizes."
She took a cautious step closer.
"What does that have to do with Genevieve?"
Cain deactivated the display.
"Everything."
He turned to face her.
"If Genevieve truly exists beyond this universe, then ordinary humans will never reach her."
Nicole frowned.
"Which means..."
"Your friends will accept Weiss's offer."
The realization settled over her.
"They're going to become metahumans."
"Yes."
Silence filled the warehouse.
Nicole lowered her gaze, thinking.
"They'll never leave me behind."
"No."
"They'd insist we go together."
"Exactly."
Cain's voice remained calm.
"And that is why they will fail."
Nicole looked up.
"What are you suggesting?"
"You'll join them."
Her eyebrows knitted together.
"You'll undergo the same procedure."
"And afterward?"
Cain's expression remained unreadable.
"You observe."
She stared at him.
"Watch them."
"Learn their intentions."
"Understand how they plan to search for Genevieve."
Nicole slowly shook her head.
"You're asking me to spy on my friends."
"I'm asking you to stay one step ahead."
The words hung in the air.
"They'll waste time debating," Cain continued. "They'll search together, protect one another, and hesitate whenever someone is at risk."
Nicole hated how believable that sounded.
"They're good people."
"They are."
"And that's precisely why they'll be slow."
Cain stepped closer.
"If your goal is truly to save Genevieve... sentiment cannot come before results."
Nicole remained silent.
"You don't have to betray them," Cain said. "Only keep your true intentions hidden."
"And those intentions are?"
"When the opportunity presents itself..."
He paused.
"You leave."
"Alone."
Nicole's eyes widened slightly.
"You expect me to abandon them?"
"I expect you to reach Genevieve before anyone else does."
The warehouse fell quiet once more.
Cain extended a small data chip toward her.
"Everything you need to know about the Meta Core project is stored here."
Nicole accepted it without taking her eyes off him.
"You've thought this through."
"I have."
"And if I refuse?"
Cain slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Then you'll follow your friends."
"And hope they're fast enough."
Nicole looked down at the chip resting in her palm.
She hated every part of his proposal.
Lying to Elysia.
Keeping secrets from Shai, Ethan, and Ivan.
Pretending to fight beside them while planning to break away the moment an opportunity appeared.
It felt wrong.
But so did the thought of losing Genevieve forever.
She closed her fingers around the chip.
"I'll hear the scientist out."
Cain gave a small nod.
"Good."
As Nicole turned to leave the warehouse, one question continued to echo in her mind.
Was she about to save her friend...